


Because...

by onlygoldenplaited



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-21 05:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9532970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlygoldenplaited/pseuds/onlygoldenplaited
Summary: My slight tweak on the ending...





	

After a long day of work at the canning factory, Jacob Kowalski was absolutely exhausted, to say the least. 

After the whistle sounded to mark the moment he was free to leave at last, he grabbed his suitcase from his locker and made his way through the rush of people heading out the door, thinking only of his cozy, if not fancy, apartment, and the dinner and warm fire that awaited him. Perhaps if he could, he'd even take some time to work on perfecting the blueberry muffin recipe he'd been working on for the bakery he dreamed of owning one day.

He gently wiped his brow with his handkerchief when he got outside into the cool air, returned it to his coat pocket, and was headed down the sidewalk for home, when all of a sudden a man slammed into him, knocking the suitcase out of his hands and sending him backwards.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!", the stranger called apologetically, but before Jacob could say anything, or get a good look at them, they had already disappeared into the crowd. Just like..

But  _magic_ didn't really exist, right? 

_"Of course not",_ Jacob thought, chuckling to himself, but he found he only half believed it. Nor could he shake the feeling that he had heard that man's voice before. But where?

He picked up his suitcase again, but when he looked down, he found to his surprise that this one looked subtly different than the one he usually carried. It must belong to the man who had just bumped in to him!

Jacob bent down and searched the case for a tag, or some indicator of it's owner's name, but then, the clasp of the case started to open on its own. Inside, he was shocked to find a collection of silver, glittering egg shells that shimmered in the dimming sun, and an envelope with the words _For Jacob_  printed on the front of it on looping writing.

... Now, how had a total stranger known who he was, to give this to him? The curiosity overwhelmed him, so he quickly tore open the envelope, and read the letter he found inside:

 

_Dearest Jacob,_

_I know you don't remember me, or our time together, but believe me when I say you are being utterly wasted at the canning factory. You deserve so much more than the world has given you, and so I would like to give you the chance to have something better, by giving you a choice:_

_Please either accept these Occamy egg shells as collateral for the Bakery I know you have been working so hard to get, or you can bring them with you, along with the ticket I have enclosed in the envelope for you, to the docks tomorrow morning at 8:00 sharp, if you would be willing to join me on my trip back to Europe to research more magical creatures for my book, and perhaps find a way to bring your memories back to you. It would be an honor to have you by my side again, but it would also make me incredibly happy to know that you are sharing your talents with the world, so either way, I am very happy to be_

_Your friend always,_

_Newt Scamander_

_P.S: If you choose to join me at the docks, just look for a man waiting for you with shaggy red hair and a long blue coat. That will be me..._

 

Jacob simply couldn't believe it! 

He was finally, finally free of the daily, backbreaking work of the canning factory! 

After everything he'd sacrificed, his bakery, his life's dream, was literally close enough to touch! What more was there to think about?

And yet....

He slid his hand into the envelope, and Sure enough, there was a small white ticket inside for boarding the S.S Atlantic, the next morning at 8:00. Gently, he ran his fingers over its surface, considering all it implied. He certainly couldn't deny, something about the notion was tempting.

He stood on the sidewalk a moment longer, mulling his choices over, before finally picked up the suitcase and heading for home, his mind made up.

* * *

The next morning, Newt stood at the docks, the suitcase that held his beloved creatures next to him. He tried his hardest not to call any more attention to himself than he already had during his stay in New York, but he couldn't help but occasionally scan the crowd expectantly for someone he wasn't even sure was coming. 

To be fair, he had been rather vague in his letter to Jacob, and as Jacob no longer had any memories of him, it had been a stretch to ask him to run away with a virtual stranger, but a part of him couldn't help but hope.

"ALL ABOARD THE S.S ATLANTIC!!! DEPARTURE IN 10 MINUTES!" the Captain cried from the ship, pulling him from his reverie. There was nothing for it, so Newt picked up his case and headed up the gangplank, when suddenly, he heard another familiar New York accent from behind him.

"NEWT! NEWT SCAMANDER! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Newt's breath caught in his throat for a moment. He almost didn't dare believe it.

"I'M OVER HERE, ON THE GANGPLANK!", he called out towards the voice, waving his arms wildly; sure enough, in a moment, he saw Jacob himself make his way through the crowd towards him. Before he even realized what he was doing, he rushed foward towards him and wrapped him in a hug, too overjoyed at seeing his friend again to care what anyone thought.

"Jacob....You made it!", He said, a huge smile spreading over his face . 

"Yes. I'm here! I take it you're Newt, then?", Jacob asked sheepishly, giving him an awkward pat on the back.

Newt took the cue and broke away from him. "Yes. Yes, I am. And you have no idea how happy I am to see you!" 

"Aww, thanks..." Jacob replied, starting to blush a little as Newt continued to beam a smile at him. "There was no way I could turn down the chance to meet you in person, after what you did for me. If I am going to be travelling with you, though, could you please answer me just one thing, though?"

"Of course, Jacob. Anything."

"How do you know me?"

Newt shifted a little, unsure of where to start. "That is a very long, complicated story, I'm afraid. I'll have to go in to more detail later, but suffice to say, you are my dearest friend. You may not remember me, but you have helped me more than you realize, and I...Well, I like you."

Newt looked down at the ground. He was surprised at his own honesty, but there it was, anyway. 

"...Wait. What did you just say?"

Newt lifted his eyes to meet Jacob's, and was surprised to see a flash of recognition in his friend's gaze. Jacob had a hand raised to the spot on his neck where a Murtlap had bitten him the day they met. Could it be possible, that he had retained some of his memories?

"I like you", Newt said again, not daring to hope. "Do you remember me saying that to you before?"

Jacob nodded in reply. "I remember those words, but it's like from some weird dream, or something..."

Newt set a hand on Jacob's shoulder. "I assure you it wasn't, my friend, and I promise, I'll try and help you remember, okay? I know it's an awful lot to ask, but can I ask you to trust me on this?"

A beat of silence, and then, sgain, Jacob nodded. "Yes. I don't know how or why, but I do..."

Newt is absolutely overwhelmed, and is almost tempted to go for another hug, when again, the Captain's voice rang out over the crowd:

"LAST CALL! ALL ABOARD THE S.S ATLANTIC!"

"Thank you so much, Jacob.", Newt says simply, fighting back tears. "I promise I'll try to make it up to you. Shall we go on, then?"

"Sure", Jacob answers. "Let's go."

At this, they pick up their cases and walk up the gangplank together, on to wherever Newt's studies took them next...

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
